Lightning Shadows
by StarSighted
Summary: This is a story that is perhaps told time and time again in different contexts. An era of peace has befallen Alagaesia since Saphira and Eragon defeated Galbatorix, and the Riders have once again risen. Although peace reigns, there are still those who wish to end the Riders from the very fabric of what creates them. Can a cripple and her bonded save what is before it is destroyed?
1. The Hartsons

Arianna Hartson observed what was going on outside the window of her room. The sun was shining, children were playing on the well kept property of her father's huge estate. The dirt roads were impeccable, the trees and hedges were well trimmed, the fencing of the pastures for the horses was as neat and spotless as the horses themselves. And yet, despite the tranquil day, Arianna was facing a storm.

She shut her eyes against the fresh memories of her father's demeanor around her. He was no longer hopeful in her role of continuing the rich family's line. No more could her father look her in the eye, and no longer did he smile at her in pride.

No longer in this perfect place did she belong, if she ever did. There was once a time where she felt she was not an abnormality. She excelled in her studies growing up, and rode horses with the excellence her bloodline demanded. She had grown up exactly as they'd hoped, inheriting her mother's long, fine golden hair and her father's startling green eyes. She had had a growth spurt in the past year, putting her towards the tall side, but it wasn't too worry-some as her betrothed was also rather tall.

Her grandmother's curse had signified all the careful planning and expense put into raising her as null. Her eyes squeezed shut ever tighter as she remembered the sharp rise of panic as her betrothed looked at her pale face in confusion as she gasped for air that would not come. Her father's look of horror as he understood what had reared itself at the worst possible moment. The secret they had been so careful to keep hidden had wrecked everything.

Any hope of re-establishing ties to the family that her marriage had originally hoped to result in were in vain. And as word spread to other well established families, any hope of forming new ties vanished as well, and her father's investors started with withdraw as to end the association with a cursed family. She was useless, and fated to be a burden unto her family name.

Her eyes re-opened as she heard the telltale thunderous clap of wing-beats against the sky. Her father had made one last ditch effort to save the family's reputation. Being host to the Riders that were going to bring the dragon eggs to the nearby city would bring in income and hopefully attract investors to replace the ones that had dropped out after the incident. She of course, was to remain mostly hidden during the visit.

But that did not stop her from watching for the dragons and their riders from the window of her lavishly decorated room.

She did not have to wait long. Down from the skies a single dragon erupted, the sunlight glittering off the sea of dark azure scales covering a huge form that defied logic in its grace. Her father immediately came out of the entrance below her, well dressed, his dark hair oiled back, and walking with the confidence that came with his role. He waited, well poised and polite, as the dragon landed ridiculously lightly, a human man dismounting in one fluid motion from his mount. Rider and dragon took a moment to affectionately connect, the Rider putting a hand on a nose belonging to a maw large enough to snap up three of him without fuss. It both thrilled and fascinated Arianna, this mysterious bond that was obvious to the observer with every Rider and Dragon pair that came each year with eggs. This Rider and Dragon pair she had seen before; a few years ago. The Rider's name was William, and the blue azure female Dragon's name was Ximena.

Arianna remembered the duo with a bit of embarrassment-she had once entertained the idea of being a Dragon Rider when she was fourteen. She had done nothing but blab about it, and her father, with amusement had taken her to touch the eggs to sate her thirst. Of course, none of the eggs had hatched for her, and her father had taken her home after assuring her she had an even more important role to uphold. She had been crushed, but the experience had silenced that one desire and turned it into determination to make her family proud in whatever they wanted of her. Which was what was expected of her.

As of now, she watched the Rider and her father greet each other respectfully. William had been a Rider of few words, and one that seemed a bit stiff in the atmosphere of high established society in their last meeting. Now he seemed to take the atmosphere with a bit more grace, although a trained eye could see otherwise.

After a few minutes, the dragon nuzzled her Rider's shoulder affectionately again, then once again launched herself into the air, gliding with ease towards the stables where a place had been prepared for her. Arianna smoothed out her lightly rose colored dress, aware that now would be the time for introductions when she was beckoned.

It took a while. Arianna found herself fidgeting when her father finally called her down. Nervously, she exited her room, remembering to keep her back straight and her chin tucked, descending the stairs in practiced grace, her hand sliding along the rail and a gracious smile plastered on her face.

Her faint hope of her father looking at her with a beam on his face and a sparkle in his eye was squelched as he kept his focus on the Rider, instead gesturing to her with a hand.

"And this is my daughter, Arianna. You would remember her from the Bonding Ceremony from a few years ago," her father re-introduced.

William looked up and acknowledged her as she reached the base of the stairs and curtseyed.

"Pleasure to once again be in your presence, Rider William. I hope your and Ximena's journey went smoothly," Arianna said politely, looking briefly at her father for some shred of approval. There was none.

"The flight has been pleasant for the both of us," William responded kindly. Her father finally caught her eyes, and her hope soared.

"Arianna, would you be so kind as to get us some refreshments? I'm sure Rider William is hungry after his long flight."

Feeling as though she had been slapped, Arianna kept her demeanor perfectly, and forced a smile onto her face.

"Of course father."

Curtseying again, she left to complete a servant's task. The Rider's deep blue eyes bore into her back as she left.

The evening meal had been uneventful. She had eaten with them, as was customary as her father's daughter. Though William and his dragon Ximena had been to the town previously, her father hadn't been the one to host him and his dragon. William spoke very little, although his sharp gaze told he was analyzing every bit of spoken and unspoken word. The lack of reply on William's part made no difference, as Arianna's father spoke more than enough to fill up the silence. Her father had spent the first half hour complimenting William's demeanor and his dragon's magnificence and how enthralled he was to have them at his estate. William had once asked about Arianna's mother, and quickly her father turned on a dime and wove the dramatic tale of how her mother had become heart-crushingly barren after having Arianna, and eleven years after that how a breathing sickness had suddenly taken hold of her and taken her life. It was true, but the breathing sickness had not been sudden. Arianna's kind, golden haired mother had had the sickness all her life. It was an odd sickness, as one would be perfectly healthy until one tried to do any extraneous work, although it sometimes could be unpredictable in its occurrence even then.

Arianna did exactly as was expected of her, listening respectfully and only speaking when spoken to. Even so, her father did not directly acknowledge her other than to dismiss her for the night.

Night time was her only release. After changing into her jodhpurs Arianna made haste to the horse barn. Gone was all the trained grace in her step, and obliterated was the aura of daintiness. She quietly closed the door of the house behind her. As normal, she gave a quick glance down and around her pathway to make sure none of the servants were out.

Rested assured, Arianna broke into an unlady-like run, scurrying to the barn while hugging to shadows. The horses that were turned out into their paddocks snapped their heads up as she passed. One of the biggest figures let out a hearty neigh at the sight of her, immediately moving with purpose towards the gate.

"Shh Cobalt," Arianna scolded with a smile. They both reached the gate at the same time, and Arianna slipped inside the paddock with the lead-line in hand. At the sight of the lead-line the horse snorted, pretended to spook at his owner, and took off bucking. The first genuine laugh Arianna had had in a while bubbled up in her throat and threatened to spill over. Cheekily, the stallion returned, giving his head one last toss before waiting for her to clip the lead line on, an innocent expression on his face. Once the clip was in place, the boisterous young stallion playfully reached out to attempt to take a chunk out of her arm.

Immediately the stallion was reputed with a snap of the lead line, the look of humor never leaving his human's face. Feigning insult, Cobalt snapped his ears forward and planted his feet in the ground accusingly. Arianna reached up to scratch the 'spot' behind his ears, and was rewarded with the horse leaning his head against her hand, his top lip quivering in delight. Satisfied, Cobalt blew out, and followed her out of his paddock quietly. Reaching the nearest entrance to the barn, Arianna stopped to light a lantern. The moment she lit it Cobalt leaped in the air, landing at the very end of the lead line and yanking her arm to the side.

"Cobalt?" Arianna questioned, but the horse stood frozen, sides heaving, an effective 'holy hell' expression on his face. Turning, she found the candlelight dancing off dark azure scales that were tinted black in the night's shadows. Realizing she must have woken the sleeping dragon, it took a moment for the muscles in the back of her throat to work.

"I'm so sorry-I didn't realize, I mean I forgot, I-

Her horse killed the tension by decidedly walking up to the she dragon with an arched neck (apparently over his fear), curiosity dancing in his eyes. Ximena touched noses with the horse. After a few moments of this display, Arianna's midnight colored stallion squealed, striking at the dragon with his forelegs in a playful challenge. Abashed but amused at the ridiculousness, Arianna snapped the lead line and led him firmly past the azure dragoness.

"Must you have your mighty moments at inopportune times?" she muttered to the horse.

The dragoness, her head cocked to the side and let out a strange coughing sound as Arianna led her horse to the ties near her saddling stall.

_What brings you out here so late? _Ximena asked, blinking in a perplexed manner as she rested comfortably on a bed of hay the servants had painstakingly made for her.

Without thinking, Arianna replied as she clipped Cobalt to a chain a few doors down.

"Just...needed something to do."

She froze, and stared. The dragon gazed at her quietly while the young woman sputtered to figure out if she had gone entirely mad or not. Williams had once said during the Bonding Ceremony that dragons and riders communicated to each other with their minds, so she had expected that dragons did hold a size-able intelligence. However, it was a bit different when the dragon had directly addressed her in her own language. Arianna began to fidget, realizing the rudeness of her position as she held her horse's lead-line.

_You may continue. I am awake anyways. It is nice for interesting company to present itself as my Rider is fast asleep._

The tension left the young adult's body, and she nodded her head and walked into her saddling room to grab a curry and a dandy brush. Walking up to Cobalt, she presented the dandy brush to him.

"Hold this."

The stallion considered the brush for a moment before indeed opening his jaws and grabbing it as though he understood her. Ximena let out an odd, almost bird-like trill, amused, before once again falling silent. Arianna went to currying her horse, using the round wooden brush in concise circles starting at the stallion's neck. The dirt freed itself in clouds that came billowing off the shiny horse's coat and settled on his owner. The clouds became bigger as she moved towards his hindquarters.

_The deer-animal seems to be quite fond of you. _Ximena noted. Arianna smiled.

"He was a present from my mother. After I was rejected at the Bonding Ceremony Ceremony, she bought him at a yearling sale as something for me to put my focus on. My father was less than happy with her-at that point he wanted me to focus on more lady-like things. My mother responded by saying every high-class women worth her flesh should have strong leadership skills, and one of the best ways to do that was by training her own horse. Although, the horse she bought for me was honestly out of my skill set at the time," she said, remembering the countless rope burns she had attained and the many falls that had knocked her off her pedestal of pride, so to speak. Her breath began to come out in a faint squeaking sound as she worked to loosen the dirt off the other side of Cobalt's frame, and she found that she had to take breaths in more frequently, as she was used to doing at times.

Arianna worked more quickly, taking care not to breath in the dirt as much as possible. The large dragoness moved with the grace of a cat, arcing her body around the front of them. Cobalt froze, as if to say 'It moves?!'. Ximena let out a large gust of breath, blowing the dirt out of the barn aisle and out the door. Within a few moments, Arianna found she could breath much easier. She turned to thank the dragon, but found the words caught in her throat as Ximena commanded her attention with an eagle like gaze.

_Perhaps you belong not in a dusty stable, but out in the fresh open skies. _

Ximena backed out the exit and spread her wings, the night air seeming to welcome the graceful creature back into its embrace. A longing that Arianna had shut away for five years reared its head and spread her with sadness.

The next morning welcomed Arianna warmly. Making haste as to not waste any second of the day, she quickly prepared for the day, picking out a tasteful navy blue riding habit and braiding her long hair around her head.

She found her father at the table, the usual cooking servants (Marie and Roenna) bustling about with plates of food. Arianna thanked Marie as she placed a plate of bread and eggs in front of her when she sat down. The brunette nodded and hurried back with Roenna

"Father, I was going to go out to town today before it became too crowded. Would you like to ride along?" She asked, daring to speak first. Silence stretched on before her father turned his eyes to her.

"Don't be ridiculous," he scolded. Arianna's stomach immediately dropped to her pelvis.

"I have much more important things to do today. The first day of the Bonding Ceremony ceremony is tomorrow!"

Arianna turned her gaze downward.

"Yes, of course father. My apologies."

Her father let out an unsatisfied huff before getting up to leave her eat alone.

Arianna looked down at her plate, suddenly without an appetite. However, she looked at the carefully seasoned and poached eggs and freshly baked bread, remembered how hard the servants had worked to give it to her, and ate.

After breakfast, Roenna had already tacked up Cobalt for her. Arianna thanked her as she took the reins of her horse, before staring at her incredulously. The stallion's mane and tail were well brushed, trimmed and glossy. The bridle and saddle were freshly oiled, the matching black leather of the saddle sitting pristinely on a fresh evergreen saddle pad.

"How did you-

"I've been with your family since you were a babe, milady. And as such, I know how not to get eaten alive by your horse, if I am allowed to say so," the older woman said with a smile. Her eyes crinkled at what Arianna was wearing.

"Milady! Where is your proper riding attire? That's most unfeminine for a lady of your standing!" Roenna exclaimed, taking in Arianna's simple brown and tan riding outfit and the hair left loosely swinging in a ponytail. Arianna bit her lip, having purposefully changed when her father had decided not to accompany her.

Arianna relaxed and laughed bitterly. "My standing was lost about two weeks ago, Roenna."

The old woman pursed her lips, but said nothing as Arianna mounted her large stallion with practiced ease.

Cobalt pranced in place as her weight settled into the cushioned saddle, tossing his head at his owner's forlorn energy. Arianna didn't berate him-she was eager to leave the soon becoming unbearable suffocation of being on her father's property. She said a quick farewell to Roenna, and then turned her attention to her four legged steed.

"Onward, you silly beast," Arianna said fondly, bringing up the reins to a soft feel on her horse's mouth and shifting her weight forward.

They tore out of the property's mile and a half long entryway like bats out of hell, leaping over the gate instead of opening it.

Arianna felt a small sense of peace creep into her as for the moment, her father and all her problems were left behind. Surprised glances, and a few curse words were spoken as they passed a few other riders on the road, however the foul mouthed were ignored. Her horse's powerful strides were joyful underneath her, as above all, Cobalt loved to run. He tossed his head and stretched out even farther, his long strides eating up the ground. At the two and a half mile mark, Arianna shifted her weight back. Cobalt bucked underneath her, nearly unseating her in his protest, before slowing to a canter. She laughed. Arianna allowed him to canter, asking him to slow down gradually before asking for a trot, and then finally, a walk. Despite having just moved for four miles, the young horse wasn't very winded. Only a light sweat dampened his neck. With flushed cheeks and wind-tousled hair, thoughts of her father's unmet expectations were far from her mind as she rode into town.

Riding down the dirt roads of the town was something that required focus, as vendors were driving their horses with carriages to their assigned selling spot, local people were bringing their animals through to the sale barn, and children were recklessly darting in and out of traffic screaming excitedly. Some of them already wielded multicolored wooden swords, the most popular of which was the famous bright blue that mimicked KingKiller Eragon's sword. Having been to the Bonding Ceremony only once the year before, and only been in town a handful of times, Cobalt was unsettled at first underneath her. But with Arianna's gentle but firm guidance, he settled quickly.

With interest, Arianna took a swift look around on her way to the center of town, knowing that almost every stand would be sold out on the second day of the Bonding Ceremony. The few people that knew her, such as the local farrier (looking up briefly from shoeing a short bay pony) greeted her, but she hadn't socialized much, growing up focused on her studies and learning what being a good high society wife would mean.

Arianna already knew exactly what merchant she was looking for. It had been a yearly tradition, going into the center of the town with her mother and father and browsing the shops. Being well off meant that Arianna almost always had the pick of something coming off the sales of the Bonding Ceremony. When she was a little girl, it had been mostly about trying different sweets and pastries. When she turned eleven, her mother had bought her Cobalt. The years after that her father had encouraged her to buy pretty trinkets and dresses, relenting to get new things to ride with only after she had picked out something he found suitable.

But none of that mattered now. The money Roenna had put in her saddle bags clinked with every step her horse took. Bittersweetly, her father could not tell her what to do with this sack of coins-Arianna had scavenged it herself.

A sudden aviary snarl cut through the air and her thoughts. Cobalt stopped in his tracks, his ears flicking back and forth anxiously while he tensed for a possible take-off. Arianna stroked his neck solidly and quietly waited until he blew out to walk him forward. Ximena's form rose up out of the crowd in the town's center, William seated on her back and talking to someone who was out of Arianna's view. She watched them for a moment, the dragon's glittering form and snow-white spines and horns drawing her gaze and capturing it. Somehow, the female dragon had the perfect mix of grace and power that seemed to pulse in the very scales of her slender form.

Clucking to her horse, Arianna drew her gaze away and trotted onward.

_Arianna!_

She jerked on the reins, startled. Cobalt stopped with a snort, as if to say, "How rude."

_Rider William? _She responded tentatively, reaching out mentally. She wondered if she hadn't gone mad-both Rider and Dragon had not moved from their position or activities.

_Yes. You haven't gone mad. Watch-Ximena will blow fire in a moment._

True to the Rider's odd way of speaking, Ximena rose her head to the skies and let loose a torrent of white and blue flames that forced the air to shudder around them in their heat.

_In a couple hours, would you meet Ximena and I outside of the town borders? _

Arianna paused, absentmindedly stroking Cobalt's neck. Formerly, it was most unbecoming for a young woman of her status to meet a male, even a Rider, alone out in the woods.

_I have suggested this. My Rider will be planted under my paw if you so wish. _Ximena's oddly melodic voice had a spot of humor. Embarrassed, Arianna quickly changed her pattern of thoughts.

_Which side of town am I to meet both of you?_

She was answered by a stream of images that flipped through her mind's eye. She found she had to concentrate to be able to see clearly.

_Do you need me to repeat it? _Ximena asked with patience.

_No._

_Very well. We'll see you then. _Rider William's voice came through this time. Arianna's eyes saw the slender form of Ximena lift her wings, and the crowd scattered to make room. The dragoness bugled, and launched from a standstill, becoming one with the wind in an instant.

Blinking, Arianna put a squeeze on the reins to gain the attention of her startled horse (who was staring at the disappearing blue form in the sky with utter astonishment), and signaled for them to continue their ride into the town's still growing bazaar.

"Ahh! There's my girl! Lady Arianna! How have you been?" an old friend, thinner than when she had seen him the year before, waved her over to his halfway set up tent. Grey blue eyes too bright for his age sparkled with jolly cheer as Arianna trotted over.

"Arvid! Nice to see you!" she greeted warmly, bending and wrapping her friend in a half embrace from her horse's back. Arvid stepped back and rubbed Cobalt's neck firmly.

"And you, Cobalt, how you've grown! He's really filled out, milady!"

"Yes, he sure is handsome," she agreed, reaching down and patting him. The horse puffed himself up and tossed his head proudly.

"How are Dee and Windle?" Arianna asked, peeking a gaze at the old swaybacked carthorses hobbled and grazing nearby. Despite their old age and being a merchant's horses, the old stallion and mare's dark coats were sleek, and their weights were exceptional.

"They still bicker every so often like an old married couple, but they've been good company on the long road," Arvid replied, looking at the two horses fondly. "And you!" he exclaimed, gesturing with grand gusto. "You've gone from a girl to a young woman, and grown a foot, it seems like!" Arianna rubbed the back of her neck, self-conscious of her height.

"And where is your father? I would like to see him as well-and what of young Erland? I expect you two have been wedded already." he continued, then looked at her with an inspecting gaze. Arianna shifted uneasily in the saddle. Arvid's eyes quickly widened.

"You aren't with child, are you? You should know you ought not to be in the saddle-

Arianna's own eyes about popped out of her head.

"No! Of course not-

"Why not?"

Shame bubbled through the young woman's figure from her head to her toes. Arianna bit her lip as she tried to bubble out an answer. Arvid watched, after a moment understanding crossed his expression.

"He refused you due to your illness, hasn't he?" the words themselves were sharp, concise, and drove a hot knife into an already sore spot in her chest. Arianna hung her head in shame before finding words.

"More as in his family refuses to allow their prized son to marry into a cursed family."

"Cursed!" Arvid exclaimed, the anger in his normally jolly voice shocking her out of her self-pity. He put a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention.

"Surely only a fool would fail to notice that one who is truly cursed does not make nearly as pleasant company, neither would they have the talent of horses as curses cancel out everything good in a person."

Slowly, a small smile found its way to Arianna's face.

"Thank you, Arvid."

"Yes. Now, come, come. On my travels, I picked up a saddle pad and bridle that would suit Cobalt and yourself perfectly."

Arianna rode out of there with far more cheer than she had begun with, a new bridle with jade jewels across the brow-band stowed away in her saddle bags, as well as a black saddle pad with a matching green jeweled liner rolled up neatly and tied securely to the back of her saddle. Content, she reached down to stroke her horse's neck when a stone clunked smartly against her thigh. Two moving figures blurred in the corner of her eye before her horse lept to the side, gathering his hind legs underneath him. She lifted a rein and held it, riding the panicked horse in a tight circle.

"And stay away, you dirty rats!"

Looking up, she realized the angry voice to belong to the town baker, Darin. Arianna didn't know the man well, but she had been to town to pick up bread a couple of times with her father. The violent expression on the man's husky face unsettled her. He reached down for another rock as Cobalt stopped spinning and she could see the situation clearly without distraction.

Her eyes blinked disbelievingly as Darin charged at the child that had clearly tripped, a fist sized rock in his hand. Arianna's body was already in action before her mind had fully registered it.

"Stop! What are you doing?" were the words that tore out of her mouth. Cobalt had responded to his rider's wishes the moment he had settled, surging forward and closing the distance between them and the child in three strides.

Darin scowled at the horse and rider blocking him. "Get out of the way! A thief's not worth protecting."

"What on earth did he steal that would cause a grown man to go after a child?" Arianna snapped, irritated.

"He and that girl that was with him stole an armful of Ceremony rolls! It's my right to punish those that take from me, milady!" Darin snapped, raising his eyes to hers when she blocked him from going around her. Recognition flitted through his eyes, and he spat on her leg. Cobalt pinned his ears, affronted.

"And a cursed woman has no place speaking up against any man!" Darin snarled. Arianna swallowed, burying the shame and embarrassment that rose up with a slap. Darin had always made sure to treat both her and her father with the utmost respect until now. The presence of the boy behind her steadied Arianna's resolve, and she reached into her saddlebags.

"Here. Now you can not call him a thief as his bread has been paid for," Arianna said, her outstretched hand holding half of what was left in her money pouch. Darin sneered, but his eyes looked at it hungrily.

"If you refuse payment, the boy can not be held at fault. The bread will be considered a gracious gift," the threat hung in the air, suspended between them as Darin struggled with his conflict. Cursed or not, Arianna's father was still the wealthiest man in Petrovya, and still held status. Darin clawed at her hand, pocketed the money and stormed off.

"Thank you milady," an awe-colored voice spoke behind her. Looking down, she found the boy staring up at her gratefully. Bile rose up in her throat as his unkempt state. The boy's brown hair was a matted mop on top of his head, and streaks of dirt covered his skin. The skin around his eyes was sunken, and the ratted tunic he wore hung over his frame like a a sheet. His thankful expression was diluted in obvious exhaustion unbecoming of a child, and his sickly, twig-like figure looked as though the next gust of wind would send it tumbling. An unpleasant odor emanated from the boy as well.

"Are you really cursed?" the boy asked suddenly. Silence cut through the air. Cobalt stretched his neck down to the filthy boy, and began lipping the boy's neck. A laugh erupted from the boy, lighting up his broken body with gleeful joy, and for a moment, she could see a normal child. Arianna smiled and extended a hand out to him.

"It's rude to ask such things, you know. What is your name?"

The boy eyed her hand warily.

"Don't worry, I'm not turning you in," Arianna assured. "You see, I have no one to spend the day with, and Cobalt seems to think you'd be good company."

The boy's face cleared, and he stared up at her in disbelief, before cautiously taking her hand and climbing into the saddle behind her.

"It's Harper."

"Hmm?"

"My name-it's Harper."

The next couple of hours were spent well, Arianna thought. She learned that yes, Harper was homeless, and he had a younger sister named Aderyn whom had been with him. Their parents had died of sickness the year before, and Harper and Aderyn had been surviving on their own since then. Harper was good at hunting for food for them both, but as the drought of the summer had made the pickings slim, he had had to resort to stealing. It was refreshing and odd for Arianna to think of living in such a way-she had only ever lived with her well off father and mother. It was unsettling to think of children a few years younger than her living in such a way. And although she could do without the smell, to be able to talk freely to someone without restriction was a pleasant experience.

"You really need a bath," she said, curling up her nose. Harper smacked her shoulder, munching on the smoked jerky she had bought for him. The boy had gulped down every last bit of food she had bought for him, and she kept feeling compelled to buy him more every time he ran out, as if his wiry frame would fill out in a matter of hours if she fed it enough.

"That's not nice to say! What good would a bath do, anyways?" Harper responded heartily.

"It'd help get rid of the smell-you and your sister are going to touch the eggs this year, aren't you?"

Harper smacked his lips behind her thoughtfully, drawing out a loud 'hmm'.

"Maybe, but what would happen if one of us is chosen and the other is not? My sister can't live on her own, and the new dragon rider would be taken to the Rider's island for training."

"Maybe she wouldn't have to. There's plenty of room at my father's estate. We have a lot of rooms." Arianna pointed out hopefully. Although her father and her weren't on the best of terms, perhaps he would consider it. Harper didn't respond to that.

"Harper!"

A small figure with the same big brown eyes and hair as Harper waved to them. Her frame was a little better than her brother's.

"Gotta go, that's Aderyn! Thanks for everything!" Harper said, slipping out of the saddle and scrambling over.

"Hey, wait-" Arianna called, but the two malnourished children slipped off between the many tents before she had a chance to follow. Puzzled, she nudged Cobalt into a trot, but she found no trace of them. An odd feeling of loss spread through her. A familiar blue nudge on her brain brought her back to the present.

"Come on, Cobalt," she said, redirecting him and swallowing hard. Silently, she promised herself that she would find those two again and give them a place to stay with regular food.

It took some remembering, but before the sun fell, Arianna found the path the dragon had shown her earlier. Seeing no one around her, she brought up a feel on her horse's mouth and invited Cobalt to gallop. Although it had been a long day in the saddle, her horse was more than willing, and surged forward with the speed only a well bred horse could offer. For the next few minutes, once more Arianna found her worldly troubles faded, as she laughed and ducked under branches moments before they would have smacked her across the face, leaped over fallen trees and boulders, and turned sharp and narrow corners at a blinding speed. There was no clearer freedom than this, no better joy the world had to offer.

The narrow forest pathway opened up into the field that Ximena had shown her, and Arianna knew she was close. Even more so when a huge shadow appeared over her and Cobalt's playful running turned into an outright bolt for a few strides as the blue dragoness and her rider greeted them in the setting sun's orange light. Arianna giggled when her stallion got over his fear and began futilely racing the dragon's shadow on the prairie. Knowing her horse well, instead of pulling on the reins, she directed his forward energy into a large circle, tightening the circle each lap until he broke gait and settled, pleased with himself. He watched quizzically as the dragoness settled on the ground and sat down.

"So what is it that you wanted to meet me here for?" Arianna asked boldly as Rider William dismounted Ximena. She couldn't help but admire how the dragon's scales glowed in the dying light.

"Actually, it was Ximena who insisted on this. She said you might not get a chance, and when a dragon states something, it's generally best not to argue," William responded, turning and rummaging through the dragon's saddlebags.

Arianna blinked. Away from high society, William had a much different air about him. Something less withdrawn and regal-a change in his energy that seemed to make him more human. She wondered if all Riders were like this.

"You'll need to get off your horse for this," the Rider said, not looking up from his rummaging. Embarrassed at being caught with a lack of courtesy, Arianna immediately dismounted. But William betrayed no further reaction, and Ximena did nothing other than to shift her weight at her Rider's side impatiently.

Arianna froze when William brought out a long oval shaped object that shone like polished gold. He settled it gently on the ground, before repeating the process and bringing out four others; bronze, brown, gray, and magenta. She would have had to be a fool to not realize what they were.

"But-

_Do not argue, little one. _Ximena chided the moment her braced thoughts tried to voice themselves. _You will touch each one of these unhatched eggs, and give each a chance to choose you as their Rider. When one hatches, you will come with us to be trained with the rest of the PeaceKeepers._

Arianna did not miss the 'when' instead of 'if' reference. Rooted to the spot, she stared at them, choking down the foul memories that surfaced. Urged on by the expectant gaze of Ximena and her Rider, Arianna stepped forward and knelt closer tentatively. She reached first for the one that transfixed her the most, the egg with a rose-like hue with dark veins webbing across it. Her memory served her well, as the smooth and cool feel of the egg was exactly as she remembered. She rested her hand on the top, holding her breath.

And waited.

The time slipped by, and William gestured her to the next one. The brown one had a rich hue that had her wondering what kind of hatchling lay curled inside.

Whatever kind of hatchling there was, did not stir. Swallowing back the familiar disappointment, Arianna reached for the gray. As her palm rested once again, she looked closely at the dullest egg of the bunch. It was merely a simple gray egg, with no particular characteristics.

This one did not stir for her either. What little hope had been within her sank like stone.

_Try the bronze._

Arianna did. She stretched out, hoping that perhaps the dragoness had felt something that had caused her to nudge Arianna in the egg's direction. She touched the solid bronze egg and waited once more. Arianna's refueled hope was to no avail as it became clear there wasn't even a wiggle that came from the dragon egg in response to her touch

. The last egg was the one she had figured she wouldn't have a chance of hatching. The gold on the egg made it seem like a forbidden thing, as though whomever this egg hatched for would be destined to be unfathomably great. Arianna laid her palm on this egg as though it were made of glass. When the egg didn't move, for a moment she wondered why exactly becoming a Rider was so important to her.

The first thing that came to Arianna's mind was a need to redeem herself. She had let her father, and more so, the family name, completely and utterly down when she had had one of her fits right in front of her husband-to-be. It would mean the utter world to be able to right what she had wronged.

As she stared at it, hoping for some sign of acceptance from the hatchling within, Arianna realized a desire she'd rather not have. Stronger than her desire to right what was wronged, was a desire to run away from it.

The golden egg's silence was cold and unforgiving.

"Well, that's a shame." William said, a puzzled expression decorating his face. Ximena let out a breath and bent her head down to Arianna. Arianna looked at the dark blue dragon's muzzle, trying to let no emotion show on her own.

_Surely you will find your bondmate, little one. _The dragoness's voice was filled with remorse-though not by tone. Oddly enough, Arianna felt the emotion from Ximena rather than hearing it.

"Thank you for this opportunity," she said, giving a quick courtesy bow to Ximena and William.

Turning, Arianna mounted Cobalt. Her stallion knawed at the bit in response to her energy. She kept her head low and gave the signal to gallop, getting as close to the wind as she ever could be.


	2. Burning Beginnings

The moon was up when Arianna trotted Cobalt pleasantly back into her father's estate.

"Good boy," she cooed, more in an attempt to lift her own spirits after being rejected as a Rider five times more. She settled deeper into the saddle, and Cobolt quietly slowed to a walk, obviously contentedly tired. Arianna wondered if it would truly matter if she spent the rest of her days riding. It certainly seemed to be good for her horse. Cobalt had failed to buck the entire ride home, and as she dismounted, he did not take the chance to bite at her playfully. Arianna checked his expression, and found him bright eyed with the look of a child who had just spent the day exploring. Smiling, she led him towards the already lit-up barn, figuring that the servants must be cleaning stalls.

A familiar figure ran out to meet her.

"There you are, milady! Your father has a guest he wishes for you to meet!" Marie said breathlessly, gesturing to someone behind her. A brown haired stable servant walked up and took the reins from her hands. Before Arianna could protest, her horse was being led away by the unfamiliar servant and Marie was bustling her out the door.

"Excuse me-

"Madam, you don't even have your hair up properly! The bath is already drawn, we must get you ready!" Marie exclaimed hurriedly. Arianna blinked and allowed herself to be tugged along, as Marie's loud bossy attitude was completely out of character. Whomever it was, must be important. Arianna bit her lip and followed Marie into the back entrance of the estate's house, where she was ushered to the bathing room.

The next half hour Arianna found Marie scrubbing her skin until it was almost raw, and her hair was hurriedly soaped and rinsed. She wondered where Roenna was, but found when she asked that Marie avoided answering the question. Arianna bit down her irritation, bridling the childish anger brewing at being washed like a dishrag. She found herself within a few minutes being hurriedly dried and squeezed into her formal lilac colored sequined dress, and her sun-colored hair being brushed out before being twisted up and pinned with a purple colored lily.

"Marie, what is going on?" she demanded, the anger now seeping into her tone. Marie beamed.

"A very important man from Surda came to see you!"

"But I don't know anyone from-

"It matters not, milady! This is a chance of a lifetime for your father, and you, of course. Please pardon my manners, but I am truly excited!"

Curiosity overtook Arianna's former anger.

"Your ill manners are pardoned." she relented. "Alright, Marie. Take me where they are, please."

Happy that her lady finally understood, Marie smiled and led Arianna out of the bathing room.

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"Ahh, there she is! Lord Zehter, this is my beautiful daughter, Arianna."

Stunned at the change in her father's demeanor, it took a second for her to recover. Keeping her back straight, Arianna bowed her head as she curtseyed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Zehter," she said with ease of practice. When she rose, Arianna took a look at the man standing beside her father. Garbed in a turban and tunic glittering in jewels, Lord Zehter had the sharp, cruel gaze of a hawk searching for prey and a dark graying beard pointed like a knife. He bowed and took her hand before kissing it, and Arianna had to repress a shudder.

"Well met, Lady Arianna," came a voice that was gruff and frankly frightening with the tone of command it used. It was clear Lord Zehter was a man used to getting exactly what he wanted, and quickly. As Arianna searched his strong frame and expression, she could find no honesty in his attempted chivalry.

Her father wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, and Arianna couldn't help the relieved smile that crept up her face. Hard times or not, her father was always her father, and even though he was going through rough times, he would always come back to her.

"Arianna trained the stallion you saw her ride earlier. She is well educated, well versed, and the spitting image of her mother."

Lord Zehter nodded. "Impressive. Is she a demanding daughter?"

Arianna warmed even further at her father's next words.

"No, not at all. She's easily content with what she has."

Lord Zehter nodded, stroking his bearded chin. "That's quite a rare quality in a woman indeed. And her hair color is most unique-tell me, where did she inherit such a fine color?"

"My wife had beautiful hair just like it."

Something about the tone of the conversation made Arianna uneasy. She couldn't yet put her finger on it, though. Lord Zehter looked her up and down with a piercing look from eyes too dark to have visible pupils.

"Tell me, is she good with children?"

Arianna's father paused, and then responded smoothly.

"I have kept her strict to her education as of recently. She hasn't had much exposure in the way of children, but she is a fast learner."

A numb shock of horror raced through Arianna's body as the impossible ran through her mind. She froze at her father's side disbelievingly.

"Are you selling me?" came a small voice Arianna almost didn't recognize as her own. Her father laughed and hugged her tighter to his side, but Arianna had gone rigid.

"Of course not. However, the fact remains that you are in need of a husband. It's not proper, dear, for a woman of eighteen years to remain un-wedded."

"So you're giving me away."

The latter was even far more insulting. Without requesting a dowry of any kind, one could say her father was planning on simply ridding himself of her. As though she wasn't his daughter, or his once beloved wife's child. She looked up at the man beside her, and Arianna could no longer see the father she once knew in his much familiar and loved features. Lord Zehter cleared his throat.

"I must say, I believe she'll like it in Surda. My sons will keep her busy, and she'll have all the provisions she'll need."

Arianna did not miss the fact that her husband-to-be did not directly address her.

"Thank Lord Zehter for his kindness, Arianna." Her father commanded. Arianna bit her lip, trying to keep back the tears that were welling in her eyes. With difficulty, she curtseyed.

"Thank you, Lord Zehter. I hope you will find me to be an adequate wife," she said, her voice breaking at the last word. If either her father or her new betrothed noticed, they did not show it.

"Run along now," her father dismissed, as though she was but twelve summers old. Non the less, she obeyed, glad to be rid of them both for the moment. She did her best not to run up the stairs, but once out of earshot, bolted to her room. A wave of raw emotional agony swept through her. Secluded safely inside her room for the night, Arianna allowed the pent up feelings of betrayal, sorrow, frustration and anger to claim her until she fell asleep.

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The next morning Arianna found Marie knocking at her door to wake her. Upon consent, the servant rushed in, holding one of Arianna's dark red dresses sequined at the collar and sleeves.

"Where's Roenna?"

The young servant paused briefly before picking up a brush from Arianna's deep mahogany dresser. A mahogany dresser, Arianna thought briefly, similarly toned to the dragon egg that had refused her.

"She is ill, milady. With your permission?"

Arianna nodded and turned the back of her head to her servant, who then began brushing the tangles that had accrued. A pinch of worry knotted Arianna's stomach. Her normal care-taking servant had been absent for two days now. Another day more, she decided, and she would call the family's doctor to check up on her.

"Marie, why am I being dressed formally?"

The brunette blinked. "Milady, surely you are aware you and your father are accompanying your betrothed into town for the Hatching!"

Arianna almost verbally groaned. Going to watch the eggs being presented was about the last thing she wanted to do, let alone be forced to spend the day with her betrothed and the father whom she was less than happy with. Marie noticed her expression.

"Be pleased, milady! Lord Zehter didn't seem unpleasant."

Arianna couldn't find a positive way to answer, so she stayed silent. Marie noticed her lady's mood and spent the rest of the time helping her dress and get ready in silence. When finished, Arianna spoke, a little bit of daring defiance to her father guiding her actions.

"Thank you, Marie. You may have the day off to spend as you wish."

Marie blinked, and then a wide smile spread across her face. "Thank you, milady!"

The servant left, but not before reaching into her pocket to deposit a pack of the herbs that usually relieved Arianna's breathing symptoms when they arose. Dejectedly, Arianna left the room as well, making no care to straighten her back or tuck her chin as she walked down the stairs.

Her father was even more well dressed than usual in a straight black suit, his dark hair oiled back and his beard trimmed neatly around his jawline. A large grin spread across his face.

"Ahh, there you are, Arianna!"

Arianna did not return the sentiment, only taking her father's hand and allowing herself to be led outside as a horse was before sale. Their finest carriage (a dark wooden, artistically crafted thing) had been driven out to them, being pulled by her father's best carriage horses. Arianna let out a small smile at the servant who drove the horses-when she had been having trouble with Cobalt when starting him under saddle, he had been a goldmine of good horsemanship information; filling in when her mother was at a loss. The servant, who's name was Tom, nodded before his features momentarily were filled with understanding and sadness at her mournful state. A surge of gratefulness spread through her as Arianna was thankful that at least someone seemed to be on the same page as her.

On their way into town, her father tried talking to her, only to be rebuffed by silence and her refusal to pretend to agree with him. After about twenty minutes, her father gave up, telling her once again that she would love life with her new husband.

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Lord Zehter met them right inside the town's center. It was ridiculously crowded, as it was every year. Her newly betrothed was garbed in the odd way of Surdans-in a jeweled navy blue turban and a matching odd tunic that fell all the way down to his ankles like a dress. The man twitched his mustached upper lip, an annoyed look on his face until he quickly covered it with a fake smile and extended his hand to Arianna. A disgusted shiver ran down her spine, but at her father's glare, she took it with a gracious smile, knowing the game well. Arianna averted her gaze from Lord Zehter as she descended from the carriage, instead looking for the tell-tale large podium. It wasn't hard to find-the mountainous form of Ximena was curled up on it, glittering in the sun. The eggs that she had touched the night before were each resting on a cushion on their own pedestal. Children of all ages and some adults were already lining up, waiting for the Ceremony to begin.

"Arianna, dear, I have some important matters to attend to. Keep Lord Zehter company while I'm gone," her father said, leaving no room for argument. Arianna bit her lip, but nodded. As her father left, Lord Zehter offered her an arm. Repressing a shiver, she slipped hers through his and allowed herself to be guided through the crowd to a spot as close to the eggs as the public was allowed. Arianna brought her eyes up to Ximena, instead of the stranger beside her. Ximena was already watching her with an expression of interest.

_Your mate? _The dragoness' bell like voice rang in her head, curious. A flood of disgust, dislike, and above all the feeling of helplessness spread throughout her at Ximena's question. The dragoness listened to her emotions with an immediate understanding that startled Arianna. Without words, the dragoness gave Arianna awareness of her examining the man. Pulling away from Lord Zehter's mind, the dragoness lifted a lip and snarled, causing her Rider beside her to look at her with a confused expression on his face.

_I don't like him. Two-legged traditions are odd._

A rush of gratefulness at another finally sharing her perspective washed through Arianna.

William's face blanked, and Arianna felt the dragon pull out of her mind to converse with her Rider.

She found Lord Zehter smirking.

"The beast was growling at me. Clearly, it understands a formidable man when it sees one."

Arianna found irritation boiling under her skin at such a blatant insult to her new friend's intelligence.

"You'd be surprised at how much the 'beast' understands," she retorted. Lord Zehter's black eyes narrowed, and his grip on her arm tightened to a painful degree.

"One of a wife's best qualities is to understand when she is to speak, and what she is allowed to say," he reputed firmly. Within Arianna rose the temper of a caged lion. To her father she might be docile when treated less than favorably. But this man was not her father.

"And one of a proper man's qualities is not to treat his betrothed as a dog!"

Enraged, Lord Zehter rose his hand. Here, Arianna realized, was proof of what she had sensed beneath the facade. Instinctively, she caught his hand with the strength unusual for a lady of her status, and held the repulsive man's gaze firmly.

"I may have to marry you. But you will never raise a hand against me in a child's tantrum," Arianna said firmly. For a moment Lord Zehter looked as though he would like to run her through with a blade. A cool mask then covered his features, and he drew back.

"I had a horse akin to you, once," he said pleasantly, as though he had suddenly figured out the kind of person she was in an instant. "He was a brilliant chestnut, and finely bred. However, he had as ugly a personality as he was lovely to look at. I, however, am a man who loves challenges, you see. And yes, he fought at first. Fought harder than any other I have ever ridden. But all living creatures, you see, have a breaking point."

Arianna felt her eyes narrow as Lord Zehter leaned in.

"Once broken, obedience becomes second nature. And I, Lady Arianna, am very good at breaking animals, servants, and women in."

Arianna resisted the urge to spit in his face at the disgust that riled in her stomach and the back of her throat. She settled instead with meeting the man's eyes with a solid expression, unblinking.

The earth beneath their feet shook before the thunderous roar reached their ears. The crowd around them fell silent and stood at attention as Rider Williams regarded them.

"Ximena and I thank you all on behalf of the dragons and Riders of New Vroengard for welcoming us." Rider William's voice carried across the center of the town far easier than it should have. The Rider rested a hand fondly on his dragon's shining shoulder.

"As you all know, Ximena and I have come with a purpose. It has been fifty years since the lead Rider Eragon and his dragon Saphira defeated the Black King. Fifty years since Alegaesia has been freed from tyranny, and fifty years since Queen Nasuada took the throne. And upon their victory, Rider Eragon and Saphira had discovered a hoard of dragon eggs, hidden away before Galbatorix had slain the first Riders and their dragons. Saphira, the last female of her species, would no longer have to experience the pain of being such. However, although the Black King had been defeated, Eragon and Saphira saw a need greater than only dragons. Yes, the eggs themselves were a miracle, but Alegaesia was in a state of chaos. The Black King, though gone, had left his mark. Generations of poverty had left our people sick and starving. The crime rate of Alegaesia was at it's highest. The elves, dwarves, and urgals were all ready to go to war against us. Eragon and his bondmate saw a need for peace. They saw a need for those with the strength and wisdom to bring justice to those who had been wronged against, and they saw a need to bind all five races together in a way that had never been done before. They saw a need for the Riders to be reborn. And that is why Ximena and I have flown all the way from New Vroengard to you for the week. For the next seven days, anyone under fifty years of age and able-bodied is welcome to step in line for each egg to see if the dragon inside will choose them as their Rider. If you are chosen, you and your bondmate will be brought to New Vroengard to complete your training as a Rider and be accepted among our ranks. Decide carefully, as this decision will change your entire life as you know it."

The Rider and dragon swept their eyes over those lined up.

"For those of you that still decide to lay a hand on a dragon egg, the process will go as I say. As Ximena and I are the sole egg couriers and Bonding Supervisors of this year, only two will go at a time. You will place a hand on each of the dragon eggs, left to right, each being allowed at most two minutes before moving on."

The tremor of excitement that ran through those lined up was impossible to miss.

"Let it begin," Rider William said, Ximena throwing her head to the sky and letting loose a stream of white-hot flame fifty feet into the sky dramatically. The crowd around them cheered and clapped, and the first candidate stepped forward tentatively. It was a young boy, the wiry figure oddly familiar. With a jolt, Arianna realized it was Harper. She watched with a small smile as he reached for the gray and rested a hand on it.

"Hatch!" Arianna urged after about a minute had passed.

"Isn't that the homeless whelp that I saw you with yesterday?" Lord Zehter asked, a sneer in his voice. "Surely he doesn't expect a dragon to hatch for the likes of him."

"And what of your sons, Zehter?" Arianna asked, irritation giving her reason to drop his title. The man looked at her with a cold expression.

"Why are your sons not in line?" Arianna pressed again.

"Because my sons have better things to do than be bonded to a beast," Lord Zehter snapped. Turning her gaze forward with a small victory at finding a sore spot, Arianna noticed that Harper had moved on to the second egg (brown), while the female teenager behind him was now resting her hand on the gray.

"A dragon is not merely a beast." Arianna corrected. Disappointment filled her as the brown did not stir a bit for Harper.

"Of course it is. They carry their Riders around and obey the Riders' wishes. The very definition of a beast is a creature not able to properly think for itself," Lord Zehter voiced with certainty.

A loud squeak cut through the growing bustle in the crowd, cutting Lord Zehter off. The golden egg that Harper was now standing in front of rocked back and forth. Harper stood, frozen, as cracks started to crawl through the egg's exterior, and at last an angular head burst through the cracks, covered in a bloody membrane that tore as the head of the hatchling pushed through. Arianna couldn't help but grin as the dragonling cracked at the shell more fervently as it caught sight of Harper. Relief and happiness spread through her for Harper. Her small, young friend would never again have to worry about finding a meal or having a roof over his head.

The dragonling had finished the business of hatching, and was now cleaning itself among it's own golden egg shards. Arianna noted with interest that the inside of the dragon egg had a silver sheen, much like on the inside of a clam. She had to admit, with a shudder, that though the newborn dragon was adorable with it's huge eyes and oversized wings, watching it lick its own embryo sack off was disgusting.

"See? Only a beast would do such a thing," Lord Zehter said in overzealous triumph.

Arianna hoped she would be able to have better company soon.

Contrary to popular belief, the hatchling did not immediately glitter in the sun after hatching. The scales of the baby dragon now stretching his neck out to his chosen Rider were a dull dark yellow color. The bright white spines that Ximena sported running the length of her body were nothing but small little dark nubs on the hatchling. The hatchling sported a short, thick muzzle in comparison to its fully grown kin with generally longer faces.

Arianna let out a cry of astonishment as the hatchling's body lit up when contacting Harper's palm, a bright white light much like a lightning bolt arcing around the small frail boy's outstretched arm. The boy crumpled, and Dragon and Rider fell on the podium in the crumpled heap. William settled a hand on Harper's shoulder, and Ximena lowered her head to the pair as well.

A sharp feeling of isolation settled into Arianna amidst her worry. She shook both off as Harper took William's hand and his new hatchling clambered unsteadily onto his shoulders.

"Ximena and I welcome Golden Rider Harper of Petrovya to the Riders!" William announced, and with some uncertainty, the crowd clapped for the once homeless boy. Over the immediate shock, Harper suddenly held the air of one going to his execution behind his uncomfortable smile. It took only a moment for Arianna to figure out why. The loudest cheering voice in the crowd belonged to a small girl in the front.

William gestured to Harper, and the boy went cautiously up to Ximena and sat down against her belly, his dragon clambering down to rest in his lap.

"Let the Ceremony continue!" William called, and the line of candidates pushed more fervently forward.

"Tell me, woman, about that horse you were riding yesterday," Lord Zehter drawled after a few minutes, apparently bored.

"I prefer to be addressed as Lady Arianna.," she correctly curtly. Zehter gave an icy glare.

"A man of my stature does not need to address a woman with a title."

Arianna turned her attention to the front, where a red-haired outsider was resting a hand on the brown.

"That steed was a quality creature. He would make a fine carthorse."

"My horse is not for sale," Arianna said firmly, refusing to allow Zehter to bring a rise out of her.

"Of course not. He'll be part of the package."

Black anger snapped through Arianna, and if ever she had the urge to hit someone, she did then.

She clamped her jaw shut with effort. Zehter smirked wickedly, seeing he had hit a sensitive spot.

Arianna focused her gaze firmly to the front for the rest of the morning.

Three hours went by pretty quickly, but more as a normal Bonding Ceremony. Usually the eggs didn't hatch for anyone-this time was a first for Arianna, seeing a dragon hatch. She kept the memory crystal clear in her mind, tucking it away for safe-keeping. The main attraction usually for the Bonding Ceremony were the visiting dragons and their Riders, as well as the merchants which only came through once a year.

Ximena's glittering form shifted, and she affectionately nuzzled her Rider's shoulder before taking to the sky.

"Break! We will continue in an hour and a half!" William called. Those still waiting in line drooped, but most stayed, as to not lose their spots. William took each egg carefully from its pedestal, tucking them away in a chest behind him. He murmured something to the chest as the crowd started to stir, and Arianna didn't miss the faint glow of magic surround the chest momentarily.

"Come, Arianna. We are to meet your father," Zehter commanded in a similar tone to one commanding a dog. Glaring at the man, Arianna none the less followed him through the crowd. She could not find a single thing to like about the man-even the way he went through the crowd was rude, simply pushing everyone who was in his way. He didn't speak to her, and Arianna found she preferred it that way.

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"Arianna, Lord Zehter, I trust you enjoyed each other's company?" Lord Hartson said, smiling warmly as they came into view. In a foul mood, Arianna held her father's gaze relentlessly until he looked away.

"I had a couple of my servants bring riding horses to us. I assume the experience would be more enjoyable on horseback." Arianna's father said, gesturing behind him. Arianna strained her eyes to the horses picketed, hoping to see Cobalt, but instead a dark bay mare was saddled with a sidesaddle, obviously meant for her. The mare was one Arianna knew well, and she was standing next to two chestnut horses-one was her father's stallion (Rimgur), and one she didn't recognize. Far preferring the company of the horses, Arianna walked over to Thistle, laying a hand on the mare's neck.

The ground trembled before an ear-splitting roar black with anger threw the horses and Arianna's adrenaline system into panic. Arianna's father strode over, as did Lord Zehter. Her father mounted Rimgur.

"Arianna, stay here. Your betrothed and I will go see what has happened."

Lord Zehter mounted up the horse brought to him, kicking the stud rudely in the sides as they cantered off. Arianna looked at the saddle placed on Thistle in disdain. She had never been good at riding sidesaddle, much preferring astride. With a decisive grumble, she tore at the straps and buckles holding the saddle on, discarding it to one side. She grabbed hold of Thistle's mane and swung on the mare bareback with the athletic ease unfitting of a lady of her stature. She paused, making sure the dress her father had picked out was strewn out enough for decent coverage, and then continued after her father and betrothed.

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The plaza was burning to the ground. People were screaming and running for cover from the enraged blue dragoness setting the center of town alight. Ximena's voice immediately thundered through the chaos.

_WHO STOLE IT?!_

The horses ahead carrying Zehter and her father reared and fought their riders. Arianna sucked in a breath as Thistle almost unseated her. Ash and smoke filled her lungs and she coughed, frantically trying to breathe. The horse whirled under her, and Arianna hit the ground hard, one hand still instinctively clutching the reins. The mare then bolted, dragging Arianna with her, who became faintly aware of how much danger she was in, being dragged through the crowd of horses and people who were also panicking. She was forced instead to focus on trying to catch her breath, and found that not only was she coughing, but her windpipe had closed with frightening speed. And within the midst of smoke and ash, Arianna also knew that it would not secede until she got to fresh air.

Adrenaline fueling her, her heels dug into the ground and she angled herself so the mare was jerked to an immediate halt. Her body moving faster than her thoughts, she used the last of her draining energy to get back onto her mare's back. The mare then bolted for home, and Arianna was too weak to do anything but hang on. Ximena's anger was palpable. As her mind swam with lack of oxygen, she instinctively read within Ximena's anger the problem, and paled even more. One of the eggs had somehow been stolen. It was gone when Ximena had come back, to no fault of her Rider. Who would be dumb enough to steal a dragon egg? They had all been left purposefully not only inside a spelled chest, but in front of a crowd. Surely someone had seen the thief.

As soon as she was nearer cleaner air Arianna balanced on the galloping mare, reaching into the folds of her dress and palming a small bit of the sniffing herbs. She took a deep breath of the fumes that naturally rose off of them, and immediately, her windpipe relaxed and allowed air to flow through much easier. She fumbled with the reins as she tried to find her strength, but her recovery was too slow, and Thistle passed through the city entrance and kept galloping.

For a moment Arianna considered throwing herself from the horse, then thought better of it. While the mare's gallop wasn't nearly as fast as Cobalt's, it was still very possible to break a limb if she didn't land exactly right. Besides, she had already fallen off the mare once, which was enough in one day for her. That being said, she had no other chance to hang on until the mare carried her back to her father's estate. During such a ride, a forbidden idea came to light, and a plot began to form within Arianna.

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"Milady what has happened?!"

Arianna smiled warmly as she found the reins to pull Thistle up.

"Roenna! I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed.

"Lady Arianna, you're covered in dirt! Come, let us go get you cleaned up." the old lady said fondly. Arianna shook her head and dismounted.

"No, Roenna, I need to you to cool down Thistle. I must hurry," she said, handing over the horse breathing hard and soaking wet after the panicked run. Roenna grabbed her shoulder as she tried to leave. Arianna smiled, an unexpected welt of sadness running through her.

"I must insist, milady-what are you intending?"

Arianna gathered her courage, looking into the older servant's bewildered eyes.

"Roenna, I'm leaving."

Comprehension flooded the older woman's features.

"If I'm going to do it, I have to do it now. Both Father and Lord Zehter"-she said the name with disgust- "are preoccupied with Rider William and his dragon. As an egg has been stolen, they won't be back for some time, and it'll take some time then for them to form a search party."

Roenna took the information with unexpected ease, and relief flitted across her features.

"Very well. I don't know what's gotten into your father, but your mother would not approve of his actions."

"Thank you Roenna," Arianna said gratefully. The servant handed the mare's reins back to her.

"Allow me to assist you."

The older woman cut off Arianna's protest before it came out. "The other servants and tennants are still about. It will be much easier for me to go gather your things and tell any who ask that you have sent for me than for you to go amidst them."

Arianna froze, seeing the older woman's reasoning.

"Cool off your mare. I will ready your things. You will be taking Cobalt, I assume?"

Numbly, Arianna nodded, and watched as the servant walked away, a dumbfounded expression on the girl's face. Unused to taking orders but having the respect and rapport with the woman, she began walking Thistle out by hand.

It was a remarkably short amount of time before Roenna returned, leading a fully saddled and bridled Cobalt towards her. He had a considerably large pack connected to his saddle, and saddlebags on either side of the front.

"You'll have to slowly wean him off his grain rations to get him used to living off the land. I also included his brushes and hoof trimming tools. Thank goodness you haven't been shoeing him-that would be a right pain to deal with in your predicament. There's also a knife for you to use if you get lost and find yourself needing to hunt or build shelter. There's extra blankets, and of course extra garbs. Your breathing herbs are in the front saddlebags, as is all the money I could find for you. You'll also find Cobalt's halter, lead rope, and lunge line in the back if you need either."

Arianna threw her arms around the woman, her eyes watering.

"Thank you."

"Of course, dear. Someone has to look after you. Oh, your beautiful mother would be so furious with your father if she were here."

The older woman stepped back. "You'll need to change."

"Out in the open?!"

"Hide behind the horses," the older woman commanded, reaching into Cobalt's saddlebags and tossing a stack of clothes at her. Finding no choice, Arianna did as she was told, tearing the dress at one of the seams in her haste to change before any saw her. She threw on the brown breeches and hooded tunic that had been given to her, before the older woman came up behind her and quickly undid her destroyed hairstyle, brushing it out and rolling it back up before securing it with pins.

"If you find a need to hide your identity even more, there's a dye herb in the front saddlebags, and a hair shearing knife."

Arianna nodded, before the older woman all but pushed her towards Cobalt in hastiness.

"Get on, girl!"

But when Arianna went to mount, Roenna pulled her back. "I'd almost forgotten." Roenna muttered, taking something out of her pocket and lifting it over Arianna's head. Arianna gasped in recognition-the glittering sapphire rose pendent was something her mother had always worn. Her father had kept it hidden when Arianna had asked about it-Roenna must've gone through Lord Hartson's room to find it.

"She would have wanted you to have it." the old woman said gruffly. Arianna mounted Cobalt, the tears that had threatened before now spilling over.

"Now go!" Roenna commanded. Arianna sat frozen, wanting to do something in return.

"Keep Thistle. She's a trustworthy, faithful mare. Take her and leave as well, before my father has your head."

Roenna lips curled up in a smile. "Thank you, milady."

"Roenna-

"No. Don't say it. Go," The old woman's voice trembled. And then faintly, so softly Arianna almost didn't hear it, she said, "Be safe."

"I promise," Arianna responded, before she urged Cobalt to gallop. Her horse took off at full speed from a standstill, offering her everything he had in an instant. A single sob wracked Arianna's frame as she left the property, cutting from the familiar road off into the woods instead.


	3. Shattering Reality

Ximena came back from her hunt with a full belly, satisfied. She had caught a large elk-a rare delicacy. It was odd, how in the past years (or so her and her Rider's elders told her) that the elk, once a northern-strict species, had migrated more and more to the warmer climates in the past few decades. The cold climate area had dropped in temperature, and the lack of forage had driven them forward. Made for better hunts, anyways. One elk had the potential of having the same amount of meat as two or three deer, depending. The meat was tougher (and in her opinion more favorable on the palate) as well.

She flapped once and angled her wings, allowing gravity to have a slightly stronger pull on her form for faster travel. She was anxious to return to William As all Rider-bonded dragons, all her thoughts eventually centered themselves around her Rider . While Will had become a powerful predator in his own right, a Rider was strongest when with their dragon, and weakest when away.

It did not only extent to the physical, as a Rider protected their dragon magically as the dragon provided brute force and flight, but their very happiness depended on having one another constantly there. The farther she was from Will, the thinner their link stretched, and the more quickly the bareness and utter despair of being alone in her mind's deepest depths seized her, as it did her Rider.

She felt relief as the wilderness faded into the roads and tops of houses of man, and she felt Will's mind more closely touch hers. For a moment, they greeted each other tenderly without words. Ximena bugled happily, and folded her wings slightly, effectively falling towards the center of the town, where William's grown form stood waiting beside the egg-chest. The townspeople scattered beneath her as she snapped her wings open expertly, stopping her momentum abruptly with the well-toned muscles that came with effective and regular training, and landed lightly enough on her feet to make most of the dragons her age change scale color with envy. Ignoring the two leggeds' looks of awe and wonder, and dodging the outstretched hands aiming to touch her wiry frame she trotted to her Rider's side, immediately taking a large whiff of the scent that had been her comfort and world since she had hatched.

_ How has it been? _She asked, stretching her snout over to the chest where the tiny-dearest-ones slept inside their shells.

_Uneventful. _William replied, utter boredom cascading down their link. _How was your hunt?_

But Ximena didn't reply to her Rider. Instinctual horror ran down the length of her spine, and unbidden, the chest sprang open with enough force to break the hinges. The top of the chest fell to the floor of the podium with a clatter, far too easily. Inside, four eggs lay. One was missing, and through her link to her Rider, she knew the impossible had happened without him knowing. Her throat and maw immediately roared to life with unbidden flames as a sense of deep betrayal rooted in her. The people that had taken her and her Rider in for the Hatching Ceremony-one of them had stolen a tiny-dearest-one. The jet blue flame in waiting ripped destructively from her jaw, setting three merchants' tents aflame seventy-five feet away. Ximena could feel William trying to reach her, but her ancestral memories knew no end to their fury. She roared, a blood-thirsty tone in the cry that reverberated throughout her entire huge form.

_ WHO STOLE IT?!_

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The path Arianna took was not straightforward. She was no fool-she knew her father would look for her as soon as he realized she was missing and had a chance to. Her father, of course, had hunting dogs, and knew how to track. But while Arianna couldn't help the foliage that broke underneath her horse's footsteps, she did know how to leave a difficult trail to follow. As a family, they had mock fox-hunted more than a few times when her mother was alive. Arianna swallowed hard as the urge to return home at once rushed her. Never seeing what was left of her father, and everything she held familiar again was not only daunting, it was downright terrifying if she thought about it too much.

And so they zigzagged, circled, and figure-eighted across a five mile stretch. She would ask Cobalt to trot one way, completely stop and follow the exact path he had just gone down for a half mile before veering off in another direction. Cobalt thought it was one great game, and kept her spirits up by being ridiculous every so often. Once, he had grabbed a fallen branch with his teeth and carried it with him for half a mile. Another time, he had snorted and pretended to spook at a rock they had passed three times earlier, earning an eye roll from his young rider.

As much as she dared, Arianna made the path as confusing as possible, before finally setting onto a deer-made trail she knew well and urging her horse into a canter. The sun was starting to sink, and she was going to make a point now to make it even more difficult to find her.

It wasn't long before her saving grace for the day loomed in on her anxious ears and eyes. The small river appeared quite suddenly through the brush, clear water gently tiding over the rocks and stones underneath. There was no bank to this river, only a sudden drop, warning her of its depths. In one magnificent leap, Cobalt cleared the river, and Arianna guided him in a large circle. They leaped over it once more, and she followed her own trail to the start, where they had first jumped it. Cobalt raised his head and eyes to the other side, sure he had figured out the 'game', when she lifted a rein. Her horse stopped, flicking his ears back in surprise. Arianna changed her focus, and Cobalt hesitated.

"Trust me," she said softly, asking patiently. Cobalt pawed at the earth and gnawed the bit nervously. She waited, watching his sleekly furred ears flick back and forth, his focus shifting to the water and to his rider fractiously. Cobalt half reared, staying suspended in the air for half a second in his uncertainty, and then his hind legs pushed. They landed into the water belly first, and the water closed over Arianna's head before her faithful steed surged upwards to once again break the surface. Cobalt let out a loud fearful snort, floundering around in panic when he could not feel footing beneath his hooves. Arianna soothed him with the hand not holding the reins, and they slowly found a relaxed rhythm as Cobalt realized he could swim. Once he was settled, Arianna directed him upstream, where she knew better footing would eventually be found.

Arianna enjoyed it. The cold water was a refreshing change to the normally hot, humid air of the climate. It kept her mind away from what she was actually doing-what she was leaving behind-for the moment. Though the swim was painstakingly long, she found serenity in the sound and feel of the water, her horse's strength beneath her, and the vivid colors of the woods.

After another hour, the steep sides of earth surrounding the river gradually sloped to become banks on either side, and her horse found solid footing in the water beneath him. Cobalt was beginning to whole-heartedly tire. Arianna wished she could stop and give herself and her black horse a proper rest, but also knew that that was foolhardy. Animals who figured they had finally out-thought their hunters ended up as pelts. Instead, she briefly dismounted and eased her parched throat with water. Her stomach was already beginning to protest missing a meal, but she decidedly ignored it. She would try to solve that problem later.

There was another stroke of luck-littering the soft dirt of the bank were a mixture of horse hoof prints and boot prints. Her and Cobalt were not the only horse and rider to pass through here, and thankfully, the prints were recent. She remounted after Cobalt had finished taking a drink as well, and asked him to continue at a walk, leading the way with her focus following the tracks of horses and riders to conceal her own.

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"Let go of me!" a strange but oddly familiar voice cried. Arianna froze in response to the anxiety in the tone, and Cobalt halted in response to her seat. Instinctively, she shifted her weight and put a calf to her horse's side. Immediately responding, the black stallion stepped sideways into the tall grass unbroken by the horses and riders ahead of them. A slap rang out.

"Be quiet, child!" a voice thick with Surdan accent snarled. Looking ahead, a total of four thin and wiry bred horses with oddly clothed riders rested in a sloppily, half set up rest area. Arianna then realized that not only was she glaringly exposed to eyesight should they turn around, but that she probably did not want to be seen at the moment. The tall grass came to brush against the bottom eyelids of her horse, and not a centimeter more. She slid from the saddle quickly and quietly, her eyes trained forward.

In the moment she had dismounted, Arianna had recognized the child with limbs tightly bound.

"Aderyn." she said, remembering the name Harper had given her the previous day.

"No need, Geranz. We are miles from the town and any main roads. She can scream and yell all she wants, but no one's going to help her." the man in the black cloak, obviously the leader of the four riders, said.

Arianna swallowed. Cobalt nickered beside her, and she noticed one of the mare's 'winking' underneath their tail, so to speak. She shushed her horse, hoping against hope he would somehow listen to her even though the mare was in heat.

"Zehter will be happy we obtained his package."

Her eyes narrowed, recognizing the name of her despised betrothed.

"What will we do with the girl?"

"Sell her into slavery," the leader said dismissively. The wind changed, and the winking mare whinnied as Cobalt's scent took to her. Arianna's already tensed stallion surged forward, letting out a hearty neigh in return and ripping the reins from her hands. She stood, aghast in shock, as her horse charged straight into the flattened patch of grass, rearing up and attempting to mount the mare.

"What the-

"Get the horse off!" the rider on the mare cried, trying to protect himself from the black horse's front hooves. The saddle bags attached to the mare's saddle were torn off by the stallion's teeth and tossed. Arianna shook her head even in her embarrassment; Cobalt was still Cobalt, and found everything as a play toy even as his instincts told him to go after a mare. As the other men rushed to help, Arianna saw an opportunity.

She quietly but quickly rushed over to Aderyn, left on the ground in the mess and chaos.

"Aderyn, it's me-come quickly," she urged. The malnourished girl's eyes widened in surprise, and then she gave Arianna a bored look.

"I don't know you-you took my brother around town _once_. And my hands and feet are tied, so I kind of can't 'come quickly'."

Arianna riled inwardly at the girl's lack of respect. She glared once, then went to toss Aderyn over her shoulder.

"Wait, moron! The dragon egg!" Aderyn snapped, pointing at the discarded saddlebags with her bound hands.

"The what-

"Are you really that slow? Go get it!"

Arianna blinked in surprise at the order, and when the girl's statement sunk in, she leaped for the saddlebag and snatched it up. The movement caught the attention of Zehter's men.

Arianna was roughly grabbed by the collar of her hooded tunic, and tossed to the ground roughly before a foot slammed into her gut, forcing the air out of her.

"Look what we have here," the leader drawled. Arianna could see Aderyn shaking her head from the corner of her eye.

"Shall we behead the intruder?" he asked, contemplating, bringing a sword point to her neck. Panic struck through Arianna as more danger than she had ever been in reeled inches away from her jugular. In her fear, her mind began racing. She drew herself up as much as she could, meeting the bearded leader's dark eyes.

"You most certainly will not," she ordered. "Lest you want Lord Zehter most unhappy that you beheaded his betrothed."

The leader's eyes widened for a moment before he leaned in. "I knew he had secured a new woman after the last one..well, there's no need to go into details, shall we say?" the point of the sword pressed into the skin of her neck before vanishing.

"However-" the man continued, slamming a boot into the side of Arianna's head. Something wet trickled down the back of her ear, and stars burst into life in front of her life.

"How do we know-" He was cut off by a blur of black that Arianna barely saw in her daze, and she snapped to attention as the pain faded.

Her stallion was screaming in utter hell-bent fury, trampling the poor leader with sharp, well aimed front hooves. Arianna blinked in disbelief at Cobalt's behavior. One rider managed to get his horse near Cobalt, who gave a solid kick to the other horse's jaw with a back leg. The kicked mount squealed and veered away, tossing its rider. The lack of loyalty the men had to their leader was clear as they kept themselves and their horses far back from the crazed black horse. Realizing the opportunity, Arianna sprang to her feet, grabbing the saddlebag with the dragon egg once more and rushed towards Aderyn. She whistled to her horse, praying that the stallion would obey in his apparent madness.

Realizing Arianna was leaving, the stallion turned from the bludgeoned leader and cantered to her, all aggression gone from his expression. Arianna threw the girl over the horse's withers stomach first and leaped up, supporting Aderyn with a hand while telling the horse firmly to bolt with her aids.

"This is not how you conduct a rescue effort," Aderyn complained as Cobalt lurched forward.

"Usually the captured don't complain about how they're rescued!" Arianna replied, trying to concentrate on staying properly balanced in the saddle and keeping Aderyn up while Cobalt surged into a wild, rickety speed. The notion of the horse tripping into a rabbit hole or otherwise hidden in the tall grass wracked her brain, but realizing her hands were full and her attention had to be kept elsewhere-such as the men who had begun to gallop their horses after her as soon as the leader had mounted up-so she loosed the reins and resolved to trust her horse to look after his feet.

"His withers are digging into my stomach!" Aderyn snapped crossly in front of her. Arianna glared at the little brown head of hair momentarily.

"So what? At least you're being rescued!"

"You can't guarantee that! They're still chasing us!"

Arianna grinned. "Not for long, they won't be."

She pressed her calves against Cobalt's sides. Unexpectedly, the black horse let loose a huge buck of exuberance, forcing her to sit up to avoid falling. Aderyn, however, was a lot less lucky.

"AGH I'M FALLING!"

Arianna's grin fell from her face as Aderyn slipped from Cobalt's withers feet first. Arianna scrambled and hooked a hand under the girl's arm, managing to keep her from touching the ground by a hair by bracing in the stirrups. Unfortunately, Cobalt was doing exactly as she had asked him to-kick into his second gear. While they were pulling out of their pursuers' range, they were also drawing quickly from the field towards a forest path, where Aderyn would be blatantly slammed against a tree in her position.

"DON'T YOU HAVE A KNIFE?!" the bound girl shouted, clearly having no patience for Arianna's lack of common sense. Arianna blinked-of course. She tucked the saddle bag with the egg under her thigh with her free arm, and then dug into the front saddlebags frantically. Her hands closed around a soft cloth settled around a familiar shape. She tore the shearing knife from its sheath, reaching down and cutting cleanly through the ropes binding Aderyn's hands. Aderyn grabbed the stirrup leather under Arianna's leg and placed the other hand on the back of the saddle, swinging up into a sidesaddle position behind Arianna with a ridiculous amount of skill. Small arms closed around Arianna's stomach with a surprising firmness.

"Duck!" Arianna cried as Cobalt plundered into the thicket. Both Aderyn and Arianna barely avoided having their heads knocked off by a branch. The speed at which they were going was madness; the forest path had sharp turns and sudden hills and drops waiting to trip the stallion should he misjudge his steps. Adrenaline fueled Arianna, and she had to keep herself from grabbing at the reins. Usually, she'd check Cobalt's speed at every obstacle, but there was no opportunity for that in their current situation. She relaxed when she realized her horse was checking for himself, lowering his head and angling his gaze as needed with the loose reins.

"THE EGG!" Aderyn screeched.

"Quiet down! We're trying to get away from them, not lead them to us!" Arianna snapped. Her eyes shot down to her thigh as she realized what Aderyn had said-the egg itself was slipping from the saddle bags, its pale gray shell bouncing the forest light off of it. She lunged forward in the saddle, and managed to wrap her hands around the egg before the saddle bag fell from its poorly secured position under her thigh, lost in the dust behind them.

"You really are terrible at this," Aderyn commented in her ear. Arianna pressed a heel into Cobalt's side, and the stallion made a right turn to push the game of cat and mouse to another level.

"I wasn't the one caught and bound!"

"Head to the town!" Aderyn called.

"What?!" Arianna responded with a snap. The town was absolutely the last place she wanted to go.

"Your horse can't run forever! The Dragon Rider will be able to help!"

Cobalt hesitated in his stride, ears flicking back to his suddenly frozen rider. Arianna swore under her breath.

"I heard that."

Ignoring the girl's comment, and realizing that they had no other choice, Arianna reached for the reins and signaled for a left. Cobalt wouldn't be able to run for much longer after the long day's ride, she knew that. The only reason he was holding out so well was because she had paced him for the majority of the day's earlier ride. Tears threatened to spill over as all her hard work turned to naught as they were forced to return the way they had come.

"Dang, this horse is _fast_. They can't touch us!" Aderyn uttered her first pleasant comment as they burst from the forest into another field, one Arianna recognized from a fox hunting trip. They were at least fifteen miles from her father's estate, but only two from the town itself. Arianna bowed her head near her horse's mane and didn't answer Aderyn's comment.

"Look! Up there!"

Arianna glanced back, seeing their pursuers finally come forth from the forest, far, far behind them.

"No really! Lady, look up!"

She turned her gaze to the sky and let out a sigh of relief. A blue, glittering form was swooping and diving in absolute rage within the air, over where Arianna knew the town was.

"Ximena!" She called at the top of her lungs, slightly loosening her death grip on the gray egg in her left arm. It was a moment, and then the dragoness's rage swept into her with such vigor Arianna was left feeling nauseated. The dragoness' mind attacked hers, gripping it hard and violently searching through it. With a jolt, Ximena recoiled, sending an apologetic feeling to her.

_You have the tiny-dearest-one. _Ximena said in relief, her rage abruptly dissipating.

Without hesitation, the dragoness turned sharply and headed for them. Arianna smiled, happy she had helped her new found friend.

Until the egg's shell caved in beneath her fingers. Startled and horrified, Arianna jerked Cobalt to a halt, examining the shell. The black horse pinned his ears in protest, but she paid no heed. Cracks spider-webbed across the surface of the dull gray dragon egg, and were growing by the second. She released her hold on it immediately in shock, and though it landed on a soft patch of grass, the impact further wrecked it.

"It broke!" Arianna shrieked, seeing part of the dragonling's membrane now poking outside of the shell. She stared at the dark bloody sac, before realizing with a sinking feeling she could recognize the shape of the hatchlings' wings.

"What do you mean, it broke?!" Aderyn snapped, sliding down from Cobalt's tall figure, only to seemingly remember her legs were still bound. The malnourished girl ended up falling on her face in the grass. Aderyn settled her hands on the ground and pushed herself up to look at the broken dragon egg. Taking a breath, Arianna dismounted Cobalt, keeping hold of the reins. For a moment, both Arianna and Aderyn only stared.

A high pitched squeak sliced through the air, causing both females and the sweat lathered horse to jump. Suddenly the entire shell cracked open, and pearly white teeth slashed through the membrane holding it.

"I accidentally forced it to hatch! What do we do?!" Arianna cried in alarm.

"Shhh...it's hatching." Aderyn said quietly, her eyes transfixed on the egg. The baby dragon tore through the membrane encasing it, shaking away the fragments of its once long-term sleeping hide-away. Arianna watched in slight disgust as the dragon ate the membrane around it, as had Harper's dragon. Big, startlingly light gray eyes with rounded pupils swiveled to lock on her.

"Hand it over, woman. And we'll be having our prisoner back as well."

Their pursuers had finally caught up to them, on sweat soaked horses with legs that trembled as they stood. The leader, Arianna recognized, looked down at them for a moment blankly. Surprise flitted through his features as he regarded the gray hatchling, but that was all he had time for.

The great, glittering dragoness snarled as she descended, keeping her one hundred and fifty foot wingspan flared aggressively. The thieves' horses scattered, ultimately leaving all of their riders in the dust. Cobalt jumped but calmed quickly, apparently much less fearful.

"If any of you try to run, by Alaegasian law Ximena will have the right to hunt each of you down and devour you," William's voice carried a ridiculous amount of authority, as his impressive figure dismounted the dragoness shaking the very ground with her growling.

"In earlier times, the penalty for stealing a dragon egg was death, as the thief would have robbed the hatchling of their life, as well as it's Rider-to-be, as physics state two halves cannot make a whole unless they are together. Luckily for you men, under the Peace Act dragon egg couriers are instead to report the thievery to the local law enforcement_ unless they run._"

The last part was said as one of Zehter's men had been inching towards the forest. Said man promptly sat down with wide eyes that were almost comical in contrast to his sharply angled Surdan features. Ximena's fierce growling ceased when the gray hatchling let out a rather endearing trill. Arianna jumped, not having realized it had sidled up against the side of her left calf. The blue dragon crept forward, lowering her enormous glittering face down to sniff the hatchling.

_He has hatched! _She cried, bugling happily, startling the captured men.

"Actually...I accidentally broke his egg open," Arianna said hesitantly. At William's quizzical look, she panicked. "Well we were trying to escape and I must've held it too hard or something-

_Human hands can not break a dragon egg. _Ximena replied, raising her glittering horned head to meet the young woman's gaze patiently.

Said hatchling was now eye-ing Arianna's hand above him with a contemplative gaze.

"It's true. Even when a hammer is pounded on it, a dragon egg will not break," William added with a small smile.

"But I was rejected, even by this one," Arianna insisted in disbelief, keeping her palm out of reach as the mistaken hatchling began to jump for it. Missing it, the baby dragon let out a distressed yowl.

"For Pete's sake just let the reptile mark you already," Aderyn, once quieted now said with a note of definite irritation. Ximena lifted her lips in a silent snarl, broadcasting her thoughts.

_We dragons are definitely not reptiles. Unlike your common reptile, we generate our own body heat. And quite a bit of it, at that. _The dragoness corrected. Aderyn froze and looked at the sparkling dragoness with an open mouth.

"Did you just _talk_?!"

A/N: Let me know what you think! I've really been working on this chapter to bring in some new elements. I have some ideas to keep this pair apart from the normal 'new dragon rider' fanfic. Hopefully you guys will like it and have some interesting feedback!

Arianna threw a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, when the gray hatchling at that moment made contact with her palm roughly. A flash of light and blinding pain snapped into her with ferocity. Every nerve ending was on fire, she was more aware of her surroundings than she ever had been, and was energetic enough to run at full speed for miles and yet in too much ice-burning pain to move.

"Strange," she heard William comment as the pain faded and she came back to her normal awareness. "He has an extra pair of wings."

Arianna looked down numbly, just as the hatchling flapped its wings for the first time and unintentionally threw itself into her chest. She was slammed rather hard into the dirt while the surprised hatchling squawked unimpressively, its nose taking the brunt of the force of its fall. She felt...odd. Her mind tickled and was ridiculously exposed in a way she hadn't ever been before, and Arianna tried to close it to no avail. Ximena lifted her head to the east, sniffing the air.

"Looks like your father and once-betrothed will be joining us shortly," William remarked. He regarded Arianna, the now purring dragon hatchling, and Aderyn briefly before turning towards the egg thieves. From some silent signal, Ximena rose to her feet, snarling and flaring her wings threateningly as she cut off their escape route.

"Now, are you working alone, or were you hired? It might be useful to remind you men that while Ximena and I are not allowed to kill unless you run, there are no laws against her taking you into the sky and using you as a chew-toy."

The youngest looking of the bunch looked as though he might lose his breakfast, while the others looked amongst themselves, shaking at the knees. Ximena growled a little louder as they took too long to respond, and inches closer.

"It was Lord Zehter! He wanted a dragon egg to take back to his sons! It was going to be an heirloom-we didn't have a choice!" one of the men blurted out. "Please don't eat me-" he pleaded to the dragon growling inches away from him.

William paused, contemplating, and then a grin spread over his face.

"How interesting a confrontation this will be, as we've caught his men and revealed him, while his betrothed runs off with his intended dragon." he muttered with a chuckle.

"You all are to stay where you are," he reminded the thieves firmly. Arianna's new dragon curled up on her neck and sniffed noses with Cobalt curiously. The black horse began lipping the tiny dragon's back. The tiny dragon squeaked in fear and immediately jumped back into Arianna's lap to hide.

They didn't have to wait long, as both Arianna's father and Lord Zehter cantered up. Her father's usually pristine form was covered in ash, and exhaustion rattled his face.

"Good, so you've found them," he said, dismounting his horse with the regal attitude of a Lord of his standing. Lord Zehter looked to William fearlessly. "Let us take them to the town's enforcement," he said, his Surdan accent revealing no lies.

"Yes, actually. And you will be accompanying them, Zehter," William said.

"I can't say I understand what you mean," Zehter said smoothly. The man that had loosened his tongue threw himself before Zehter on bended knees.

"I'm sorry milord! I was afraid the dragon was going to eat me if I didn't talk!"

Zehter gave the man a glare that would have turned water to stone. Swiftly, the Surdan Lord turned to remount his horse, only to be pinned to the ground by a large scaled paw. His horse spooked and fled, leaving Zehter no means of possible escape. Ximena lowered her maw took a deep whiff of the back of Zehter's head. The normally tan shade of the Surdan man's body paled. William knelt and placed a hand on the back of Zehter's neck, whispering a word that Brianna didn't recognize. When he stood, an odd sign with twisting loops and swirls was engraved where the Rider's palm had been.

"This sign marks you as a thief of the Dragon Riders. Any Rider of the Order will be able to locate you with a single word for the rest of your life. My dragon now has your scent, and I promise you, Ximena will never forget it." he gave the dragoness an affectionate pat on her neck.

"Where's my brother?!" Aderyn burst out suddenly, now that the immediate danger had passed.

"Safe, with his dragon," William replied, as though he had expected the question. The elder Rider scratched behind his ear, a contemplative look on his face. Ximena let out a hideous growl as Zehter's men started to slowly inch off, causing all to freeze and sit back down, non willing to be the first hunted down by an angry dragoness. Cobalt shoved his face against her palm, and absent-mindedly Arianna scratched him in the crease of his jawline, which she knew to be his favorite. The gray hatchling shoved his head against her other palm and beganpurring with an odd, bell-like tone. She became aware of her father's harsh glare setting down her back.

"What have you done, Arianna?" Lord Hartson's voice was soft, but the cold fury in it made his daughter wince.

"Father, he hatched for me," Arianna pleaded, her own disbelief at the stated fact coloring her words. "You can not be a Rider Arianna. You already knew that." her father's glare was unrelenting. Ximena let out a low growl, while her Rider and Aderyn stayed silent. Lord Hartson turned to William.

"There must be a way this can be undone. My daughter is unable to be a Rider-she has a physical condition that impairs her."

William cleared his throat before speaking. "It can not, I'm afraid. That hatchling chose your daughter as his Rider, and the magic binding their souls is final."

Her father's lips pressed into a thin line, the veins in his neck popping. He turned to his daughter again, and Arianna had to try to keep from physically shrinking back.

" Then from this point forward, you will have nothing to do with the Hartson name. You have disobeyed me in the _worst_ of ways, and before that, you _tried to run away._" the man snarled. Arianna winced, realizing that her father had noticed the traveling packs on her horse's flanks and her unusually discreet state of dress.

"You will receive none of your inheritance. I will have nothing more to do with you."

Each word was heard like a hammer to her chest, and Arianna's gaze dropped to the ground as she tried to hold back tears. Her father's mare snorted as the thump of spurs against her ribs was heard. Arianna listened numbly as Lord Hartson cantered away.

"Cripes. Talk about a family with problems," Aderyn remarked dryly.

_Good Riddins. _Ximena said with a loud huff.

"Come on you three," William said, holding a hand out to each Arianna and Aderyn. Aderyn snorted and got up herself, with a rather snotty "No thank you."

Arianna took the offered hand numbly, realizing in the back of her mind that with 'three' William was including her newly bonded.

"There's too many of us for Ximena to carry plus the horse, so we'll have to walk the rest of the way back."

A/N: Let me know what you think-I have a few ideas to hopefully keep this fanfic apart from 'just another new rider' fic. Review!


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